There’s a fine line to tread when teaching young people about drugs and alcohol. On the one hand, it’s important to communicate the dangers that these substances can pose. But scare tactics and horror stories have a way of shutting down the conversation altogether.

And yet, schools will soon have to get better at walking that fine line because the government’s new personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education requirements have made it compulsory for all schools to teach about drugs and alcohol by at least the start of the summer term.

Bethan Miller of the PSHE Association explains how she has been helping staff to prepare for the new statutory guidance.

Tes: Drug and alcohol education has always been a part of schools’ offerings. What is different now that it’s statutory?

Bethan Miller: Schools have covered drug and alcohol education to some extent for more than 30 years, and many have done so very well through their existing PSHE education. But consistency across schools has been an issue as PSHE wasn’t compulsory.

The new requirements provide a real chance to ensure all pupils in all schools in England can benefit from this essential aspect of PSHE, with drug and alcohol education featuring in the requirements for both primary and secondary phases.

Is this above and beyond what most schools will already have been doing?

Schools that already do a good job through PSHE education won’t have to reinvent the wheel but will need to review and update the curriculum to ensure that they are covering the statutory content.

Other schools will be less prepared and may be starting from scratch or using older resources that don’t meet their pupils’ needs. But if this sounds like your school, don’t worry. It’s been a very difficult time and the Department for Education has confirmed that those not currently prepared now have until the start of the 2021 summer term to get things in place.

We can offer schools a great deal of support on how to teach students about alcohol and other drugs safely and effectively. And, as this should always be covered as part of a broader, planned PSHE curriculum, our programme of study for PSHE education and programme builders offer guidance on how to structure provision.

There’s quite a bit of conflicting research in this area about how best to broach these topics. What would you say is the consensus view in terms of general approach?

Yes, there are many voices advising schools on how to cover these topics. That’s why we’ve produced an evidence review that helps teachers to know what works.

For example, we’ve seen some resources that focus only on scaring young people into avoiding using alcohol and other drugs. Pupils should know about the dangers but it’s important to get the balance right. Shock tactics can have counterproductive effects, such as glamorising drug use or undermining credibility with young people, if only extreme consequences are discussed.

And while key knowledge about substances is vital, there should also be a strong focus on developing skills, attributes and attitudes that support pupils to navigate social situations in which they feel pressure to take drugs.

What resources have you developed in this area?

We recently launched teacher guidance and a full suite of PSHE resources for Public Health England. Our materials cover key stages 1 to 4 and are freely available to download from our website and our Tes Resources shop.

These lesson plans, teacher guidance and knowledge organisers will help schools to optimise their schemes of work with the reassurance that they’re in line with evidence- based practice. The guidance also includes tips on how to talk to young people about tricky topics related to drugs and alcohol.

Could you talk us through some of the key elements?

We wanted to make sure these lessons were helpful for teachers, whatever their level of experience and expertise in PSHE education. We’ve included supportive guidance for primary and secondary levels to help all teachers prepare to deliver the lessons safely and effectively.

The lesson plans all include a variety of activities with clear guidance, including teacher notes, to support classroom discussion. Each set of lessons includes a knowledge organiser to help teachers answer questions and discuss these topics using age-appropriate explanations. There is also signposting to relevant support for pupils.

How were the resources developed?

We developed them with support from Professor Harry Sumnall, of the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University. This helped to ensure that the resources are well-informed and sensitive to a range of pupils’ potential experiences in relation to substances.

We released an episode of our PSHE Talks podcast, in which I speak to Sumnall about best practice in drug and alcohol education, so it’s worth giving that a listen if you’re updating your schemes of work.

Teachers also gave us invaluable feedback during development. Their suggestions helped us to make sure the materials are clear and easy to use.

How do you see them being used?

These lessons give schools a real opportunity to build learning over time in PSHE lessons. Pupils can develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need in an age-appropriate way, and consider the topic in relation to other PSHE areas, such as mental health, managing risk and relationships.

PSHE leads can share the teacher guidance with their teams or use it to support staff training, and will find it useful to see how the learning progresses across the primary and secondary phases when planning their schemes of work. It can also support those who have the opportunity to liaise with colleagues across the phases, for example between primary feeder schools and their secondary neighbours.

What would be your key advice for teachers leading this area?

I’d like to leave teachers with a few key points. First, that drug and alcohol education is one part of a whole-school approach to prevention but it’s not the only element. It can be helpful to think, as a staff team, of the big picture in your school and look at how the environment, policies, pastoral care and PSHE education can interact to support pupils’ learning and wellbeing.

Second, it’s important to think about your pupils’ learning journey. What have they been taught just before these lessons? What will they be taught after? How recently have pupils addressed relevant PSHE topics, such as mental health and emotional wellbeing, that look at healthy coping strategies?

Third, find out what your pupils know before you start teaching. That way, you can start to address any misconceptions and tailor teaching to their needs. We hope that the resources give teachers a solid, evidence-based starting point to develop teaching in their own context.

And finally, remember that no matter how daunting the process might seem, the PSHE Association is here to help you get it right.

Bethan Miller is a subject specialist at the PSHE Association. Its drugs and alcohol materials can be accessed from bit.ly/DandAplans

This article originally appeared in the 29 January 2021 issue under the headline “How I...foster drug and alcohol safety”